Emma Watson announced via her Facebook page that she would be taking part in a live chat on International Women’s Day to discuss He For She.

I hope you’ll join me on Sunday 8th of March at 1PM NYC/5PM London-time for a conversation about He For She and Gender Equality, live on Facebook. If you’re in London and would like to be there in person, tell me how you are making a personal impact to advance gender equality. Please submit your story, here: http://goo.gl/forms/dRzVjsdNSR, by 12PM London-time on Wednesday 4th of March and you could be selected to attend this special event as an audience member! Em x

Today Bloomsbury has released a J.K. Rowling Bibliography chronicalling the years of her career from 1997 – 2013. Fans in the US can pre-order the book on Amazon. Philip Errington, Director for Children’s Books within the Department of Printed Books and Manuscripts at Sotheby’s, wrote the book over 5 years. Always J.K. Rowling have interviewed Philip and chatted about the process of creating the book.

Has J.K. Rowling seen your bibliography? If so, what was her reaction?

I have kept J.K. Rowling and Neil Blair, her agent, fully informed of progress over the five years it has taken to write the bibliography. They have seen various drafts at several important moments. J.K. Rowling described the book as “slavishly thorough and somewhat mind-boggling”. That’s possibly the highest praise for which a bibliographer could wish.

Did you work closely with J.K. Rowling’s agents and publishers?

Yes, I had the delight of trawling through many archive boxes at Bloomsbury. When someone packs material in a box and sends it off to storage it’s frequently an exercise in reclaiming desk space. They don’t imagine future researchers will sit in a corner sifting through the piles of paper. That was tremendously rewarding. But also the opportunity to ask others to access information has been invaluable. The staff at The Blair Partnership have been exceptionally helpful in trying to uncover precise facts.

What drew you to compile a bibliography of J.K. Rowling’s work?

I work within the book department at Sotheby’s and regularly sell collectable editions of Rowling’s work. One day a well-respected book dealer complained to me of the lack of a Rowling bibliography. Gossip was being claimed as fact and there was no reliable point of reference. As my academic background is in bibliography and I had worked with J.K. Rowling on a major project previously, I thought researching her bibliography would be an interesting project. I was rather amazed at how receptive everyone was to the proposal.

What do you find most interesting about J.K. Rowling’s work?

That’s a tricky one. Personally I find the plots staggeringly well-constructed. Each Harry Potter story works as a separate book, but there’s also the entirely consistent plotting across all seven books. It’s little wonder that the author has now turned to detective fiction for the ability to construct, take apart and analyse a plot is, I think, a crucial part of her writing.

Can you tell us one surprising or little known fact about the publishing history of Harry Potter?

One of the big facts is the number of hardback and paperback copies printed of the first edition of the first book. Both were published on the same day with 500 hardbacks and 5150 paperbacks. In the past there have been stories of a total of 500 hardbacks and paperbacks. I’m also delighted to describe what appears to be the first appearance in print of any Harry Potter. Most people would assume this would be the proof printing, but no. Bloomsbury published a volume of forthcoming highlights in early 1997. The complete fourth chapter of Philosopher’s Stone was included.

What is the most interesting item associated with J.K. Rowling that you have had in your hands?

That’s a very easy one. I’ll take off my bibliographer’s hat and wear my Sotheby’s one. In December 2007 Sotheby’s was approached to sell a handwritten copy of J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I was responsible for the cataloguing and later accompanied the book to the United States for exhibition. The text was unpublished at that stage and every page was in the author’s distinctive handwriting; it was quite an object. When the hammer came down after a fierce bidding war, the result of £1.95million was a world record for a children’s book and also a modern literary manuscript. But more important it was to benefit a wonderful charity – now called Lumos. I had handled an exceptional piece but also played a small role in helping the charity.

What do you think will most interest Harry Potter fans in your bibliography?

The basic facts. There will also be those who want to work out if they have a rare edition. All the information to tell is in the bibliography. A bibliography is, of course, a guide to an author. But who knew that there are four issues of The Daily Prophet which were published by Bloomsbury for the Harry Potter fan club and each of these was written by J.K. Rowling. There’s also a section in the bibliography entitled ‘Books and Pamphlets with contributions by J.K. Rowling’ as it’s worth remembering that the author has published other material outside her own books. Indeed, this section has twenty entries. Where would you need to look to find a letter written by Jo (aged 45) to her 16 year-old self? Or, perhaps, telling us about great books to read aloud? Of course, the bibliography doesn’t include these texts – but the book does identify the canon.

Victor is a ruthless fashion designer in the 1970s at the top of his game. Esme, his glamorous protégé and muse, is pushed aside when an ordinary Southern woman inspires Victor to make his artistry accessible to the masses. A generation later, a woman grappling with a healthy dose of self-loathing must wrestle her own family demons to find her way through the world of fashion that won’t give a woman her size a second look. Skipping back and forth in time, Everything You Touch is a viciously funny look at the struggle to find an identity that’s more than skin deep.

Student tickets for the play are $16, and Under 30 tickets are $21. Regular tickets are $56, but right now you can use RIDDLEEYT30 to get them for $30.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London has released a video showing the journey the Hogwarts Express is taking to get to the studio

After just under 1 million miles in service followed by an iconic appearance in the Harry Potter film series, the Hogwarts Express is steaming into Warner Bros. Studio Tour London this March! Watch the journey so far here.

To celebrate the arrival of the #?HogwartsExpress we have a competition for you to enter! Click below to be in with a chance of winning four tickets to our VIP launch event. http://bit.ly/WBcompetition

Step on to authentic sets, discover the magic behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter film series. Tread the original stone floor of the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall, encounter animatronic creatures and wander down Diagon Alley. Located at the Studios where all 8 films were produced, the Studio Tour showcases the incredible British talent, imagination and artistry that went into making the impossible a reality on screen. Visitors will relive the magic through the eyes of the filmmakers who brought the Harry Potter film series to life.

For more information on the Studio Tour and to book tickets, please visit www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

In a new interview with Just Jared, Tom Felton talks about the super fan documentary he has been working on as well as being sorted into Gryffindor, Against the Sun and more!

Some questions on the documentary can be read below:

Could you tell us a about the super fan documentary you’re working on?

It’s an hour-long one-off that we’re doing with BBC and KR Films. It’s just kind of a chance for me to have a more in depth look at the world of super fans and these people that have followed franchises–kind of at the root of why Harry Potter was so successful. It had such an active fan base. It’s allowed people to be passionate about stuff that maybe they couldn’t be so open with in previous years. It’s kind of a look into that, it’s a road trip journey with me narrating.

What was your most memorable interview that you conducted?

We’re still editing, but there’s a costume element. This idea that getting into costume (Terminator, comic book characters) and thousands of people that come into convention centers are freed. So I had my little experience with that, which was a bit awkward but fun. We had a guy in Pittsburgh, who’s like the world’s biggest Harry Potter fan, he was head to toe in Potter paraphernalia as I answered the door, which was a bit of an experience.

Did any of your Harry Potter co-stars take part in your special?

Yeah, I interviewed Rupert [Grint], Daniel [Radcliffe], and J.K. Rowling, which is a huge honor to have those three talk so openly as they have done.

Tom Fletcher as well, many of you know as the lead singer of McFly or McBusted. He’s a huge Harry Potter fan. The documentary isn’t really supposed to be about Harry Potter, but it just so happens the people I’m talking to are related to that.

Do you know when and where fans will be able to watch it?

It will be on BBC 3, I’m hoping for sometime in April, May. But again, don’t quote me because we’re still cutting it up. And then after that, hopefully later on in the year, it’ll be put up on online. I’m really excited to see what people’s opinion is of it. It was a massive insight for me, going behind the ropes and seeing what people actually do to stand behind a railing at an event. You don’t really think about the three hours it took them to stand there and get the best spot. And there’s a whole bunch of stuff that goes with that.

Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts information below:

In Pottermore, you were sorted to Gryffindor. Could you tell us how you feel about that?

Devastated. Heartbroken. Yeah, I was really not happy. I was filming the end of the documentary and they were like, just tap on something on the laptop so it looks like you’re busy. So I was like, OK. And they opened up Pottermore, and I thought, you know what, let’s do this. In fact, I did try and answer the questions to try and get Slytherin as the answer. And I think the computer saw through my attempt to try. I saw J.K. actually the next day and said there must be a glitch in the system. She guarantees me the Sorting Hat is never wrong.

If Draco wasn’t a wizard, what would he be doing in the real world as his job?

A thief. Or some sort of shady back-end job. I don’t think he would be ever really good at working. Something definitely illegal.

What are your thoughts on the new Harry Potter book and have you heard anything?

I haven’t! I know they’re in production. I know [director] David Yates and [producer] David Heyman, and Jo (J.K. Rowling) are back together, which is kind of the old dream team that did it in the first place. It’s kind of amazing that they’re coming back. I’m trying to weave in a little cameo, background extra role for myself. I can be some crazy bum in the back of the pub or something like that. Yeah, it’s exciting. I know lots of people are eagerly awaiting this. I think that it’s great they’re not treading on the toes of things they’ve done previously, and although it is related, I don’t think there’s going to be anything we’ve seen before. There’s not going to be resurfaced old characters or something like that. Yeah, I’m looking forward to it!

Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter have just launched a contest where you can win four tickets to the VIP launch event to celebrate the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. As we posted back in January, in March the studio tour will be expanding to include a recreation of Platform 9 3/4 AND the original Hogwarts Express stream engine! To enter to win, visit the sweepstakes page! Unfortunately the contest is only open to UK residents.

We’re inviting visitors to go behind the station wall this spring and see the majestic Olton Hall steam train from the Harry Potter film series.

The original Hogwarts Express locomotive will be housed in a recreation of Platform 9 3/4; created by many of the original crew including Production Designer Stuart Craig.

To celebrate, we’re offering you the opportunity to win four tickets to the VIP Launch event on Tuesday 17th March, plus three runners-up will receive four gift tickets to visit the Studio Tour!